UN Trust Fund grantees – 18th cycle (2015)

The grants announced in 2015 stem from the UN Trust Fund’s 18th call for proposals for initiatives that respond to the three priority areas identified by the UN Trust Fund as strategic in addressing violence against women and girls: prevention, expanding access of survivors to support services, and strengthening the implementation of laws, policies and action plans aimed at eliminating violence.

Africa

Panzi Foundation DRC
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)Project title: “Scaling the Holistic Panzi Model to Ensure Vulnerable Women and Girl’s Access to Quality Psycho-social and Legal Services”Description: After more than fifteen years of conflict, the health infrastructure of the DRC was all but devastated. Rural areas, which concentrate 70 per cent of DRC’s population, are particularly affected by the lack of health services, especially sexual and reproductive health services. Data from the Panzi Hospital, which has attended to thousands of victims of sexual violence, shows a disparity between the number of survivors of sexual violence and those who can access legal and psycho-social assistance. This programme intends to upscale the internationally recognized holistic Panzi model in one-stop centers and affiliated facilities located in the Walungu and Minova districts. The Panzi model, which provides integrated, human rights-based medical, psycho-social, legal and socio-economic support, will be strengthened by engaging communities in its legal assistance clinics as trained community paralegals and as community peace activists. In a technical partnership with Physicians for Human Rights, the programme will also train medical, legal and psycho-social professionals on the principles of the Panzi model and on the adequate collection of forensic evidence of sexual violence. The programme expects to contribute to the body of knowledge on the adequate response to violence against women in conflict settings. At the end of the programme, the Panzi Foundation expects that the health and overall well-being of survivors of sexual violence will be improved and that communities will have sustained access to high quality health and legal services.

Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP)
GambiaProject title: “Advancing Women’s Rights and Ending Harmful Traditional Practices through Rights Education”Description: It is estimated that 76.3 per cent of women and 42 percent of girls have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Gambia. FGM/C is still considered a socially acceptable practice, and together with early marriage contributes to maternal mortality and morbidity in the North Bank region. GAMCOTRAP intends to advocate for a law to ban FGM/C in Gambia. It will also promote women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights through ‘rights education’ and raise awareness on the pernicious effects of practices such as FGM/C and early marriages. Through training and information campaigns, they will engage circumcisers in an “alternative employment opportunity programme” that will give them skills to manage small scale businesses. It is expected that community awareness will culminate in ‘dropping the knife’ ceremonies and the abandonment of harmful practices.

Episcopal Relief & Development
LiberiaProject title: “Engaging Faith-based Organizations to prevent Violence against Women and Girls and Increase Survivor’s Access to Services”Description: Gender-based violence is prevalent in Liberia. Levels of violence further increased during the country’s 14-year conflict, in which sexual violence was widely used as a weapon of war. During the conflict, communities and families disintegrated and the effects of the violence are felt even today. A 2013 report by the Ministry of Gender and Development identified significant barriers to reporting violence and accessing justice. The report also found that three-quarters of reported cases were filed by girls under the age of 18. In addition, only 3 per cent of reported incidents of violence against women are being followed up in courts. Episcopal Relief & Development intends to equip and catalyze the underutilized platform of Christian, interfaith and Muslim faith-based organizations in six districts of the Grand Cape Mount and Rivercess counties to become agents of change, create awareness of violence against women and girls in their communities and transform beliefs and attitudes that legitimize and condone violence. The programme will train and equip faith leaders with the knowledge to question violence against women and to promote new behaviors, particularly new visions of masculinity that promote gender equality. Episcopal & Relief and Development will also connect survivors to referral networks and services in partnership with the National and County Gender-based Violence Task Force, an inter-agency committee comprised of key government ministries as well as multilateral and civil society organizations.

Equality for Growth
TanzaniaProject title: “Give Payment, Not Abuse: Protecting Informal Women Traders in Dar es Salaam from Violence against Women”Description: In Tanzania, the 1998 Sexual Offence Act does not consider all forms and manifestations of violence against women. It fails to protect women from marital rape and does not fully protect them from sexual discrimination and exploitation in the public and private sectors. Furthermore, although the implementation of the National Plan of Action on Violence against Women mandates local governments to carry out actions to eradicate violence, it has yet to be operationalized on the ground. This affects women in general, and women in the informal sector in particular. For women in conditions of poverty, the informal sector is often the only available source of employment. A study conducted by Equality for Growth among women traders in Dar es Salaam indicated that 40 per cent had experienced sexual harassment, 32 per cent verbal abuse and 24 per cent other forms of violence from male traders and customers. Equality for Growth, a local women’s organization, intends to bolster women’s economic rights and reduce their vulnerability to violence by creating safe environments in six markets in two districts of Dar es Salaam, where 80 per cent of public markets are located. They plan to engage with local government councilors, local government officials, police gender desks, market committee leaders and market traders in order to change attitudes and behaviors that normalize and reproduce violence against women in the public sphere, ensure the availability of survivor support services in marketplaces, and support the development of local laws and budgets to address violence against women. This programme builds on beneficiary recommendations gathered in a previous project implemented by the organization in five marketplaces. By taking the recommendations as an entry point, Equality for Growth seeks to garner not only the support of key constituencies, but also the ownership of the intervention. At the programme’s end, it is expected that women traders will operate in an environment free of sexual, verbal, physical and political violence and exercise their economic rights to the fullest.

ALAFIA
TogoProject title: “Elimination of Harmful Customary Practices that can lead to the Spread of HIV/AIDS”Description: In Togo, between 13 per cent and 20 per cent of women aged 45 to 49 are widows. The prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS is 3.4 per cent, and 56 per cent of people living with HIV are women. In many regions of the country, the death of a spouse requires surviving wives to undergo a widowhood ritual that puts them at risk of contracting HIV. This practice involves a period of isolation and imprisonment, purification ceremonies, remarriage and, in many cases, a ceremony by which the widow is forced to have sexual relations with strangers in order to “cut the link” with her deceased husband. Since 2012, a law grants widows the right to refuse this ritual; however, most communities are not aware of it and the practice remains widespread, especially in rural areas. ALAFIA intends to up-scale the programme in the Haho prefecture. The programme will engage government representatives, village chiefs, and community-based associations. Through a participatory method based on indigenous beliefs, ALAFIA will advocate for the abandonment of the widowhood ritual. At the programme’s end, the organization will organize community ceremonies to symbolize the eradication of the widowhood ritual and the adoption of alternative practices that promote the rights of women and girls.

Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe TrustZimbabwe
Project title: “Access to Justice of Girls and Women with Disabilities”Description: The 2011 National Baseline Survey on Life Experiences of Adolescents conducted by the Zimbabwe National Statistical Agency noted that 33 per cent of women aged 18-24 had experienced some form of sexual violence before reaching the age of 18. Like most studies available, the survey did not include information on women and girls living with disabilities, whose needs are often not taken into account in interventions to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. A pilot project by the Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe Trust found that women and girls with disabilities undergo violence in silence, as their impairments are not taken into account in mainstream evidence-gathering judicial policies. This dramatically limits their access to justice. The proposed programme seeks to facilitate access to justice for at least 900 women and girls with disabilities that have survived violence and/or that are currently involved in legal matters as complainants or witnesses in 10 Zimbabwean districts. The programme will provide specialized services in cases involving girls and women with disabilities, and will offer logistical support, including transportation, food and shelter, and sign-language classes to disabled girls and women survivors of violence in order to facilitate their access to police units and the courts. Police and court officials will also be trained in sign language and gain knowledge of the impact of various disabilities on reporting gender-based violence. By partnering with women’s organizations, the programme will also adapt information, entertainment and communication materials on violence against women to render them accessible to women with disabilities. The programme expects to engage disabled people’s organizations, the police, the Judicial Services Commission and the Ministry of Education. This programme up-scales the organization’s Child Protection and Access to Justice Project, which is currently being implemented.

Americas and the Caribbean

Organización Nacional de Indígenas de Colombia (ONIC)
ColombiaProject title: “Indigenous Women, Gender-Based Violence and Access to Justice”Description: Violence against indigenous women in Colombia is highly prevalent, with some studies showing that up to 70 per cent have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime. Lack of harmonization between national and indigenous jurisdictions and the absence of data on the magnitude and forms of violence experienced by indigenous women have resulted in widespread impunity. The Organización Nacional de Indígenas (ONIC) aims to strengthen and promote the adoption of measures to prevent and respond to violence against indigenous women in Colombia. The proposed intervention intends to document and conduct research on violence against indigenous women, raise awareness among community and relevant authorities, train indigenous women as advocates of indigenous women’s rights and provide psycho-cultural, social, legal and psychological support to indigenous women survivors of violence and their families.

Asamblea de Cooperación por la PazEl Salvador
Project title: “Improving Women’s Access to a Life Free of Gender-Based Violence for Women in El Salvador”Description: El Salvador is the country with the highest rate of femicides in the world. Despite legislative and policy advances, official data and analysis on the prevalence of different forms of violence is limited, institutional coordination is lacking and local women’s organizations do not have the sufficient tools and expertise to adequately advocate for women’s rights. Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz will aim to improve institutional response and coordination of relevant stakeholders at national and municipal levels and contribute to installing capacities among local women’s and youth organizations as a means to increase their oversight and advocacy skills. The proposed intervention will also seek to strengthen existing national data collection mechanisms, improve police response and increase awareness on violence against women in schools and communities.

Fundacio Sida i Societat
GuatemalaProject title: “Prevention and Reduction of Sexual Violence against Sex Workers in Guatemala”Description: The Department of Escunitla in Guatemala receives a large number of migrant workers during the agricultural production season. During these periods, demand for sex workers, who are mostly young, indigenous migrant women, dramatically increases. Highly vulnerable to sexual violence and HIV, sex workers are often unaware of available services and/or receive inadequate support as a result of stigma and discrimination from service providers. Fundacio Sida i Societat will aim to prevent and reduce sexual violence against sex workers by strengthening institutional capacity and coordination of organizations working on violence against women and HIV, promoting sex workers access to justice and raising awareness among clients and sex workers through peer education. An inter-institutional coordination and referral network will also be established as a means to increase access to health, legal and social services for survivors of violence.

Arab States

Al Shehab Institution for Comprehensive Development
EgyptProject title: “Community-based Intervention to Alleviate Different Forms of Violence against Women and Women’s Vulnerability to HIV”Description: In Egypt, a recent survey by the National Council of Women (2013) shows that almost one third of the sampled women had been subject to domestic violence as well as violence and harassment in public spaces. Gender inequality and violence against women is also further increasing women’s vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, limiting their sexual rights and constraining their access to essential medical and legal services. The Al Shehab Institution for Comprehensive Development seeks to address the underlying causes and intersections between the twin epidemics of violence against women and HIV/AIDS in Egypt. The organization aims to work with women and girl survivors of violence, women domestic workers, female sex workers and women living with HIV in the marginalized informal communities of Ezbet El-Haggana and El-Marg in Cairo. The organization intends to engage community-based organizations, male partners, health professionals as well as the National AIDS programs. The programme seeks to improve access to essential services such as legal and psycho-social support for survivors of violence through establishing a community service center. The intervention will also raise awareness about the intersection of violence against women and HIV/AIDS, provide vocational training for sex workers, and strive for the economic empowerment of women living with HIV.

Psycho Social Counseling Center for Women
State of PalestineProject title: “Combating Gender-Based Violence”Description: As violence against women is increasing in the oPt, the Ministry of Women Affairs developed a national plan for addressing these abuses in 2013. Over the last years, there has been a steep increase in rates of gender-related killings while sexual harassment and violence in public spaces and forced marriages continue to be highly prevalent. Women living with disabilities are often particularly vulnerable to violence and the lack of data and attention in the new national plan is one of the important backdrops of this programme. The Psycho Social Counseling Center for Women (PSCCW) and its implementing partners aim to eliminate the gender-related killing of women due to so-called “family honor” and to contribute to the development of effective measures and policies to be adapted by the Palestinian Authority to achieve the highest level of protection for women. The programme also seeks to mainstream the rights of women with disabilities within the women’s rights agenda. In order to achieve these results, the organization intends to increase the capacity of relevant ministries, legislators and policy-makers and to improve the performance of the Women’s Protection Units of the Police. They also propose to engage with community-based organizations and university students and to raise the awareness of communities through theatre shows.

Community Media Center
State of PalestineProject title: “Stop Violence against Women”Description: Palestinian women face high levels of violence throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory. A recent report by the Bureau of Statistics found that 37 per cent of married women have been subjected to domestic violence. In Gaza, 76 per cent of women have been subjected to emotional violence, 34 per cent to physical violence, and 14 per cent to sexual violence. Levels of violence are further exacerbated by violent conditions related to the occupation, discriminatory legislation and the deteriorating economic situation. The Community Media Center intends to shed light on the pervasiveness of violence against women in Gaza and pressure decision-makers to issue policies and procedures to protect women from violence. The organization is using media as its main tool and seeks to increase journalists’ and women media graduates’ knowledge and skills about violence. It also aims to engage with community-based organizations and women to increase their knowledge. Furthermore, it intends to implement several strategies, including awareness raising campaigns, capacity development as well as media and field research on violence against women.

Asia and the Pacific

Ministry of Internal Affairs, Republic of the Marshall Islands
Marshall IslandsProject title: “Aeneman”- Stop Domestic Violence against Women in RMI”Description: In 2011, the Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Act (the Act) was adopted in the Marshall Islands. The Act presents a comprehensive approach towards preventing domestic violence and improving support for women and children at risk. However, realization of the Act remains incomplete due to insufficient funds and technical assistance. With about 3 in 10 Marshallese women having experienced physical violence since the age of 15 and cultural factors meaning that violence is frequently hidden and considered a family matter, implementation of the Act is urgent. The programme will adopt a “whole of government” approach and work with community and faith-based organizations to ensure multi-sector engagement to prevent and respond to domestic violence. The programme will focus on preventing violence, improving service delivery and strengthening the institutional response to domestic violence. Key programme activities will include: integrating violence-related education into the national education curriculum; capacity development of police, judiciary and health professionals; the establishment of a telephone hotline; and the establishment of a multi-sectoral referral and reporting mechanism. Some of the expected results of the programme include an increase in the prosecution of domestic violence cases, improved service delivery for survivors, and the engagement of community and faith-based organizations as partners at the grassroots level.

Mongolian Women’s Fund
MongoliaProject title: “Securing State Investment in Awareness Raising on Domestic Violence in Schools”Description: One in three women in Mongolia experiences domestic violence, with women in low-income rural families particularly vulnerable. The 2004 Law to Combat Domestic Violence requires local authorities to develop and fund programmes for the prevention of domestic violence. However, implementation of the Law remains weak. While Local Crime Prevention Councils are authorized to identify crimes that are prevalent in their areas and allocate funds for crime prevention activities, funding for activities aimed at ending violence against women remains low or non-existent. The programme will work with Local Councils in Dornod Province and Baganuur District to fund awareness raising programs in schools through the Local Crime Prevention Council budget. Key activities include a school-based intervention in selected high schools, awareness-raising of Local Crime Prevention Councils to recognize violence against women as a crime that must be addressed, and the empowerment of grassroots women’s groups to advocate for and monitor the local budgets through a partnership with elected female representatives. If successful, the programme’s model could be applied to other provinces across Mongolia.

The Story Kitchen
NepalProject title: “SAHAS (Courage) for Justice: Sharing and Amplifying Her Allegorical Stories for Justice”Description: During Nepal’s more than decade long war, women and girls were routinely tortured, raped, detained and killed. Despite the adoption of a National Action Plan to implement UN Security Resolutions 1325 and 1820 and the recent passage of the Truth, Reconciliation and Disappearance Ordinance, Nepali women’s voices and experiences have not been sufficiently acknowledged in processes to address the consequences of war. This programme will work towards ensuring access to justice for women conflict survivors in ten districts. In an innovative approach, the programme will pair women conflict survivors with women human rights defenders to reach more survivors through local radio networks, thus breaking the culture of silence around conflict-related violence against women. The Story Kitchen aims to increase the knowledge and courage of women survivors of conflict and violence to testify at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, increase justice seeking behavior among women conflict survivors, and improve the sensitivity of the media when covering gender-based violence cases in Nepal.

Restless Development Nepal
NepalProject title: “Towards the Abolition of Chhaupadi in the Far and Mid-west Regions of Nepal”Description: The chhaupadi system is a social tradition in Nepal whereby menstruating women are segregated from their families and communities. Despite the Supreme Court of Nepal outlawing the chhaupadi system in 2005 and the 2010 National Plan of Action against Gender Based Violence recognizing chhaupadi as a traditional harmful practice and a form of violence against women, policy has not translated into practice at the local level. Chhaupadi presents grave physical and psychological risks for women, and continues to affect up to 95 per cent of women in rural areas in the Far and Mid-Western regions of Nepal. Under this practice, menstruating women of all castes are physically segregated from society and forbidden to enter their own homes, interact with others, or eat adequate food. They are often prevented from bathing, using the toilet or going to school and are deprived of basic facilities such as clean water, sanitation and shelter. Using Restless Development Nepal’s proven peer-led direct delivery methodology, the proposed programme will deliver sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence education to adolescents and youth in and out of school, as well as the wider community, in four districts. The programme will also seek to influence district and national levels of government in terms of their planning and investment in chhaupadi-elimination activities, as well as building the capacity of civil society organizations as service providers and advocates against Chhaupadi and gender-based violence in a further three districts.

UN Country Team (UN Women, UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA)
Solomon IslandsProject title: “Keeping the Promise in the Solomon Islands: From Policy to Action”Description: The Solomon Islands has one of the world’s highest documented rates of violence against women. A 2009 study found that nearly 2 in 3 ever-partnered women aged 15-49 reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner. The same survey found that 37 per cent of women aged 15-49 reported being sexually abused before the age of 15. Despite the policy gains and legislative frameworks in place to address violence against women, implementation remains weak. The proposed programme draws upon international best practice to move beyond referral systems with uncertain outcomes to establishing mechanisms for case management for enhanced accountability and effective health, justice and social response to violence against women, focusing on quality service delivery. Due to the significant correlation between childhood and adult experiences of violence, the programme will address violence against women and children together in order to create integrated systems, policies and legislation. Improving data collection, monitoring and information sharing is a significant component of the programme, which will also seek to identify models of best practices that can be replicated by other countries in the Pacific.

Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand
ThailandProject title: “The Empowerment and Capacity Building of Lesbian and Transgender Women to Mitigate Violence, Stigma and Discrimination based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity”Description: Lesbian and transgender women in Thailand face a range of violence, stigmatization and discrimination. The National Social Welfare Act 2012 recognizes people with sexual diversity, but the law faces implementation gaps, as does the National AIDS Strategy in addressing the needs of transgender and lesbian women. The Rainbow Sky Association through its network of provincial offices will empower lesbian and transgender women and build their capacity to understand human rights and how to advocate for their rights within their communities and relevant government agencies to eradicate violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The proposed programme intends to use the proven Community Life Competence model to empower communities in four provinces to address issues of human rights, violence, stigma and discrimination. The programme will support community organizations to develop a mechanism to monitor and record the events of violence, stigma and discrimination against lesbian and transgender women. This will help develop reliable evidence to advocate with the government to support policy development to address the needs of lesbian and transgender women.

Associacaon Chega Ba Ita (ACBIT)
Timor-LesteProject title: “Strengthening Women Survivors of Violence in Timor-Leste”Description: Sexual violence was pervasive under the Indonesian occupation (1975-1999) of Timor-Leste, including rape and sexual slavery of Timorese women by Indonesian security forces, often with their Timorese allies. Women suffered numerous physical and mental impacts of these violations and as a result continue to experience discrimination and exclusion by their communities. From 2002-2005, a truth commission collected 8,000 statements from victims, organized public hearings and found that rape was committed as a crime against humanity. ACBIT was established to promote the findings and recommendations of the commission’s report and believes that impunity for gender-based violence during the conflict is linked to the country’s current context where violence against women is pervasive; a study in 2009-10 found that 39 per cent of women experienced some form of sexual violence from the age of 15. The programme will work directly with women survivors groups in the 13 districts of Timor-Leste, and a national women’s NGO to seek to engage policy makers and parliamentarians to create and implement specific policies for women survivors of human rights violations, including implementing the recommendations of the truth commission. Key activities include: consolidating a simple and user-friendly database on women victims; conducting participatory action research with women members of the National Victim’s Association; linking victims of conflict with present day victims of gender-based violence; developing a model for a victim’s trust fund, with a focus on women victims (provisions for which exist under Timorese law but have not been implemented); and conducting public outreach on gender justice.

Europe and Central Asia

Alliance against LGBT Discrimination
AlbaniaProject title: “LBT Rights are Women’s Rights”Description: Despite the absence of official data, information from pilot studies reveal that lesbian, bisexual and trans women in Albania experience high levels of violence both within families and state institutions. Despite recent efforts to address violence against women in the country, the needs of the LBT community who face double discrimination continue to remain unaddressed primarily as a result of the attitudes and behaviors of service providers and lack of awareness on LBT specific needs. The Alliance against LGBT Discrimination aims to improve the quality of response services available for LBT women experiencing violence. The intervention proposes the development of a research study on violence against LBT women in institutions, a nation-wide awareness raising campaign and the production of a manual for women’s organizations, police, education and health sector service providers with guidelines on how to better respond to the specific needs of LBT women. A series of trainings with relevant stakeholders and women’s organizations will also seek to build the capacity of service providers.

Ministry of Social Development
KyrgyzstanProject title: “Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Kyrgyzstan through a Coordinated Response of the State and Civil Society”Description: Gender-based violence is widespread in Kyrgyzstan with recent studies showing that over 80 per cent of women have experienced at least one form of domestic violence, while 12,000 women are kidnapped annually for forced/early marriage. Although legislation in the area of protection from violence in the family in Kyrgyzstan is considered to be one of the most progressive in the Commonwealth of Independent States, women often do not report or seek support due to widespread social acceptance of violence in the family, lack of knowledge about existing support mechanisms, and a lack of trust in state institutions. The Ministry of Social Development aims to support the implementation of national legislation on domestic violence by spearheading the first comprehensive response to gender-based violence. The proposed intervention will seek to strengthen institutional coordination and collaboration among relevant stakeholders by establishing multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms at national and local levels. The programme also intends to improve access to quality services for survivors of violence by developing service provision standards and models and building the capacity of service providers. In order to promote positive changes in attitudes and behaviors, the programme will promote the engagement of communities, men and boys and religious leaders and launch a national awareness raising campaign.

NFFCK
KyrgyzstanProject title: “Expanding Opportunities of Rural Girls to Prevent and Respond to Threats of Violence”Description: Girls in Kyrgyzstan, particularly in rural areas, are highly vulnerable to violence. Bride-kidnapping and early and forced marriage remain widespread practices that affect countless girls. Despite legislative and policy advances, impunity remains widespread and prevention efforts targeting young girls and boys are insufficient. NFCCK will aim to address violence against girls in rural areas of Kyrgyzstan by piloting a school-based education program in 2 schools that will build leadership skills and teach girls how to prevent and respond to threats of violence. The proposed intervention will also work with boys to promote respectful relationships and gender equality and support girl survivors of violence through the establishment of self-support groups. Women and youth community and non-governmental organizations will also be trained with the objective of strengthening capacities to implement prevention initiatives and replicate the program in other rural areas of the country.

The Association of Women Sandglass
SerbiaProject title: “Local Communities in Central Serbia against Gender-Based Violence”Description: While Serbia has ratified a body of laws and policies to reduce and eliminate gender-based violence, implementation remains a challenge. Insufficient funding and political will and inadequate capacities of service providers and governmental officials has resulted in an inadequate response to the rising levels of violence against women in Serbia. Adequate response has been particularly lagging for Roma women and women living with disabilities with cases often going unreported given fears of being re-victimized by service providers. The Association of Women Sandglass aims to strengthen prevention and response services in Rasina, one of the most marginalized and underdeveloped districts of the country. The proposed intervention will seek to raise community awareness and foster increased collaboration and coordination among relevant stakeholders at local levels. Capacity building will also seek to improve and expand support provided by SOS hotline with a focus on Roma women and women living with disabilities and a series of seminars with governmental authorities, service providers, women’s organizations and journalists will seek to strengthen institutional response.

Najoti kudakon
TajikistanProject title: “Creating Women Support Groups and Strengthening the Shelter in Kulob Region”Description: Tajikistan recently adopted legislation on domestic violence. However implementation and access to services, particularly in rural and isolated areas of the country, continues to be a critical challenge. In the Kulob region, many women are driven to suicide and self-immolation as a result of the high levels of violence experienced and the absence of any support. The NGO Najoti kudakon aims to improve access to services for rural women in the mountainous areas of the Kulob region. The proposed intervention will seek to establish 24 Women’s Support Groups in underserved communities and enhance the only-existing Safe House offering comprehensive services in the region. It also aims to mobilize and engage communities against violence in remote districts and increase awareness of general public and decision-makers.

Cross-regional

Promundo – US
Brazil and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)Project title: “Engaging Youth to End Violence against Women and Girls in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo”Description: In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), widespread impunity and lack of knowledge of existing laws and policies on violence against women has led to a growing acceptability of violence in society. The relationship between the perceptions of masculinity and men’s sense of powerlessness is further exacerbating the endemic levels of violence against women throughout the country. In Brazil, access to services offered by the government through the National Policy on Violence against Women is hindered by a series of systemic barriers and high level of urban violence. This cross-regional programme aims to build on Promundo and its partners’ evidence-based experience to prevent violence against girls in high urban violence (Brazil) and conflict-affected (DRC) settings. Numerous studies confirm that experiencing or witnessing intimate partner violence against one’s mother as a child is one of the most powerful determinants for using violence against a female partner later in life. This intervention aims to work directly with adolescent girls and boys who have experienced or witnessed violence. Through group education and counseling, the programme seeks to foster critical reflections on their experiences and the adoption of healthy, non-violent attitudes and behaviors. As part of this cross-regional programme, Promundo aims to work together with local universities in Brazil and the DRC in order to develop a unique model to break the inter-generational transmission of violence in conflict and violence-affected settings.